


Together, With Her

by TaroPhoenix



Category: The Shape of Water (2017)
Genre: End of Movie Spoilers, THe Asset's POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 00:55:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13283508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaroPhoenix/pseuds/TaroPhoenix
Summary: "I want us to be together."The end of the movie from the Asset's POV





	Together, With Her

**Author's Note:**

> Heh, I basically saw TSoW twice and wanted to do a little fan-fic, so...this happened. I really wish that we saw things from the Asset's POV, so this is my attempt at it as far at the end of the movie goes.
> 
> I like to imagine that the Asset has been alive for a long time (centuries, at least), so he can understand some levels of human speech/dialogue. He may be a walking fish-man, but he's highly intelligent...even if he can't communicate like a human can. I feel like he interacted with the villagers in the Amazon that treated him like a god to some extent, even if it was mainly for the usual "we give you our offerings" and "please heal us" type of situation. Of course, he was still "alone". Apologizes in advance if the wording from his POV is a bit off because of it.

 

* * *

 

I feel so tired. And sick. I can barely walk.

But I know that I am being led to some place.

_She_ is taking me there. And her human friend.

The closer we get to it, I see water.

A lot of water.

Not the same as the rain that is falling from the sky.

It looks like a river, but I know it’s not.

At least, not like the ones that I know of back home.

We stop right next to the rushing water.

Then, she puts her hands on my face, and touches our foreheads together.

The look in her eyes tell me everything.

Now is my chance.

I’ll be safe from that _horrible_ human.

I can escape.

I can go home.

I don’t feel well, but I am so happy.

Finally, I am free. I can go back home.

With her.

_We_ can go home.

I see her leave from my arms, and I’m confused.

She turns to look back at me, and I tell her.

_You. And Me. Together._

Her face looks so sad.

And then… she tells me. ‘No. Without me’.

She wants me to go without her?

But I… I thought she wanted us to be together.

_I_ want us to be together.

A future with her.

I was looking forward to it.

No, I don’t want to be away from her.

I know my body can’t be here much longer.

I need to get home.

But…even if it will kill me,

Staying in this strange place,

I still want to be with her.

With Elisa.

I don’t think…I could leave her here.

Even as I stare at the water beneath me,

I can’t bring myself to jump in.

Without her.

But then.

I hear a sound from behind me.

I move to find the cause of it,

And her friend had fallen to the ground.

What happened to hi--

* * *

 

 

My chest hurts…but I’m fine.

Many humans have tried to kill me in the past, so it’s nothing new.

I’m no stranger to death.

But who did this to me?

I slowly get up from the ground, and move my hand down my chest.

The two holes there are now gone.

I turn my head, and her friend is kneeling near me.

And then I see _her_.

Elisa.

She’s in his arms. And not moving.

I can smell blood in the air, coming from her direction.

Who hurt her?

As I look up, there is another human in the distance.

…It’s _him._

It had to be _him_ that that did this. To me. To her.

Seeing him stand there. It’s not hard to figure out.

I’m not dumb.

But I’m mad.

He…How dare he hurt her.

It’s one thing to harm me. Kill me, even.

But to hurt _her_ … there is _no_ forgiveness for such a thing.

He is trying to take out…something with his hands, but I won’t let him.

Whatever it is, it must be bad.

Nothing good has ever come from him.

He took me away from my home,

Killed the innocent humans there that I grew so fond of over the years, who fought so hard to try and save me from the bad humans.

Caused me so much pain that I had never experienced before,

…and he tried to kill Elisa. I refuse to believe that she’s dead.

I move closer to him, my claws ready to strike.

He doesn’t look up until I am right in front of him.

I hear him say one thing to me before I silenced him:

“You _are_ a god.”

A god…

I may not know many human words, especially the ones I’ve heard in this land,

But I understand those words, and I know what a god is.

I’ve been called one many times over the years I’ve been alive.

Because of my ability to heal, and to give life to others.

I am not sure if I can really be considered as such,

But if he truly saw me as one, a god, then so be it.

I do wonder if even _he_ considered himself one while he tortured me in that terrible place,

But I can’t waste any more time on him.

I have someone else that is much more important to me.

I head back to where Elisa is, still being held by her friend, and I slowly reach out to touch her face.

She feels cold.

Seeing her so lifeless in her friend’s arms…it hurt me. She did not deserve to suffer like that. Because of me.

I know that I can save her, but I must be quick.

I hold my arms out, and slowly take her from her friend.

His eyes were so sad. Even more than when I had eaten one of his small friends.

I still feel horrible for doing such a thing.

I couldn’t say it to him, with my hands or with human words,

But with a nod, I try to let him know that she will be fine.

At least, I hoped that she would be.

There are others that have arrived, but I can’t worry about them now.

Elisa. She needs me.

I turn to the body of water near us, and jump in.

Shortly after we are in the water, I let her go from my arms before I swim around her.

To see if there were any other wounds that I wasn’t aware of.

Although I am pleased that there’s no other area that the blood is flowing out of,

I am still worried.

I move to be near her, and I let my claws gently touch her neck.

Those scars…

Whomever it was that sealed her neck were cruel to do so.

She shouldn’t have these scars.

She’s not supposed to have them.

This is not the first time that I’ve noticed the lines on her neck.

I have seen them plenty of times. But the one time that I tried to, she wouldn’t let me heal them.

‘They don’t hurt. I am fine.’, she told me.

And I listened to her. Respected her.

Even though I am not sure if she realized what they truly are.

But now… I must do it.

For her.

Because I love her.

Holding her face in my hands, I bring our faces together until our lips touch.

And my markings glow.

I have been alive for such a long time.

So many years, that I've lost count.

But I don’t mind giving up a part of my life span.

For Elisa.

If there was a way for me to guarantee it, I would give up my entire life if it meant that no harm would ever come to her.

But even I have limits. God or not, I can only do so much.

I part our lips and I move downward to watch her. Hoping that I’m not too late.

Faster than I expect, I see her eyes open and her taking a deep breath.

The injury on her neck, the scars that should have never been there in the first place, are now the things that she was meant to have.

She can breathe here like I can.

It’s only been a few seconds from when I kissed her, to when she came back to life…but it felt like an eternity.

I was scared.

I can immediately see the confusion on her face, but that changes to joy when I swim up, so she can see me.

We look at each other for a few moments, before we embrace.

Holding her in my arms brings me such happiness that I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Being kidnapped from my home, my river. The pain and torture that man did to me while I held prisoner.

All of that led me to her. To Elisa.

Being with her made it all worth it.

I was supposed to meet her. To be with her.

From the day we met.  I felt a connection.

Like a piece was missing from my life…and I had _finally_ found it.

I found her.  Or I should say… she found me.

I am no longer alone.

Now I don’t have to leave ‘without her’.

I can return home… _with_ her.

To our home.

I know it will be a long journey.

And I briefly wonder if she will be able to make it okay.

She’s not used to the waters like I am.

I am patient, though.

As excited as I am to finally be able to go back to my home,

I can wait longer to get there.

Because I will help her every step of the way.

No matter how many days, nights, or even moons pass.

Because…

She is with me.

I am with her.

_Me. and Elisa._

_Together._


End file.
